The Final Battle
by Ni-chan9
Summary: Touya gritted his teeth together. Why didn't he understand? What was it going to take to get him to listen? "…If battling you is the only way to break through to you...than I will."


**A/N:** _I never would have dreamed I'd ship a Pokémon pairing, but, dear God, the feels I have towards N/Touya. Pokémon Black/White has to be my favorite Pokémon game, plot-wise. This particular fanfic has been on my flashdrive for forever. I just recently cleaned it up while listening to Burgh's theme from PB/W 2 and N's Castle Bridge._

**Setting/Warnings:** _N's castle. Follows the events inside. Characters' dialogue predominantly mirrors theirs in the game, with the exception of inputed lines & that of the protagonist's. Contains minor profanity, violence & shounen-ai_

* * *

The Final Battle

Touya ran down the elegant hallway, turning sharply to run up the flight of stairs only to enter another hallway and do it all over again. He breathed heavy breaths, his chest rising and falling dramatically while he threw his arms forward and back in his efforts to pump his legs to go faster.

"_We've been using him since day 1_."

The words rang through his head. He understood now. Why N was so bent on this ideal. Why Team Plasma wanted everyone to release their Pokémon. Why they kept going on and on about Pokémon liberation when they themselves battled with Pokémon. Though most Team Plasma members remained blind to the truth or second guessing their actions, there were a few like the grunt he'd just spoken to who knew of their real ambition. It all made sense. Oh, N…

"_N's heart is pure and innocent. But there is nothing more beautiful and terrifying than innocence_."

The power of a king, but the intentions of a child. Touya had almost choked on tears upon entering N's old room. How could one of the Shadow Triad have claimed to have felt nothing from it when Touya had felt so much? The room held such purity and sorrow. It was N's world limited from human contact and replaced with the company of suffering Pokémon instead, day in and day out. Of course N would be so driven to make the world perfect for Pokémon- no, his friends, his family -when he's been sympathizing with them all his life, to Team Plasma, all according to plan.

It was enough to infuriate Touya. Who would raise a child like that? Who could bring themselves to be so cruel to Pokémon and the boy who suffered with them? Ghetsis... He was…he was a monster!

Touya traversed up another flight of stairs, enveloped in its surrounding wall's darkness before a bright light could be seen at the end of its path. Arriving up the last step, his jaw dropped at the sight of the long passageway. Grey pillars trimmed in gold rose far above his head at either side of him as they stood in crystal clear water circling the path with a gracefully made navy carpet leading up to a throne rested at its finish. He felt so small all of a sudden, standing there. It all looked so old world like a Greek palace- immense, beautiful yet frightening at the same time, just as how Concordia described N's ingenuousness. It was fitting, to say the least.

He felt a lump form in his throat as he wasn't sure if this was what was conjuring his anxiety or if N himself positioned at the other end of the corridor was to blame. The green-haired boy soon rose from his royal chair and made his way towards the brunet below.

Touya blinked slowly, then gulped, his eyes melding into those of determination as he forced his legs to move forward. This was no time to get intimidated, not while his blood still boiled from the horrible antics that were taking place here. "N, you have to stop this!" he yelled across the hall.

A smile pulled at the corners of the boy's lips, pitying and twisted. Touya wasn't even sure if it could be called a smile. Ghetsis really had corrupted him... If Touya could just break through that poisonous ideal of his, somehow, someway, than maybe he could make N see the truth and all the lies he's been fed with it.

"Stop, you say?" N posed. "What I desire is a world for Pokémon and Pokémon alone. To separate Pokémon from people, so they may regain their original power. And you won't me to stop? Do you not care for your Pokémon at all?"

"I do! That's why I need you to open your eyes! Don't you get it? Ghetsis is using y-"

"Enough!" N announced irritably. "It's time to settle this once and for all! My determination is absolute! I will prove the value of my beliefs even if it means my friends get hurt!"

Touya's eyes widened. Could N not see how much he was changing? How much he was letting his dream change him? The N he knew would never let his Pokémon get hurt. N had told him that force wasn't the way. Now look at him…

"Since you've come this far," N spoke, "I believe you are equally determined. If that's so, prove it to me! Show me the depth of your determination!"

"N, this is crazy!" Touya threw his arm out in a perturbed manner. "I don't want to fight you, I want to help you!"

The teen laughed. "Help me? I'm hardly the one who will be needing help against Zekrom!"

Touya gritted his teeth together. Why didn't he understand? What was it going to take to get him to listen? "…If battling you is the only way to break through to you...than I will."

N smirked, displacing his weight to one side as his hand rested on his hip before a frown fell over his face. "You came all this way to battle me… But Reshiram is not responding. You haven't yet been recognized as the hero, have you?"

Touya blinked, then glanced down at the Light Stone in his bag. It hadn't done anything since he received it from Lenora back in Nacrene City. No reactions. No rumbling. No glowing. _Nothing_. Maybe Ghetsis was right. Maybe he wasn't this chosen hero after all, but a normal kid from a small town who was way in over his head about to take on a legendary dragon.

N clicked his tongue, assuming the answer from Touya's lack of response. "How disappointing. I actually kind of liked you a little..."

Touya's eyes widened as he looked away from his bag and up at N in astonishment. They had met in the middle of the path, squared and with a larger perimeter than the rest of the passageway. The trainers now stood in front of one another, Touya, having to look up slightly while N, down. During a face-off like this the brunet sort of wished he had been blessed with height a little earlier on in his life because who was going to take a boy who was shorter than them seriously?

Touya sighed, closing his eyes for a brief moment only to quickly snap them back open when he felt N place a hand to the side of his face. He sucked in a breath, quiet, almost undetectable to anyone if N hadn't been so close to him. Touya could feel his cheeks redden as he stared up into the boy's steel blue eyes, so full of sadness and need. He'd been hurt and only wished for absolution for his friends…

"I thought maybe…you were like me. I've been living with Pokémon since I was born, so it's easier for me to connect with them than with people. But I thought maybe…you were different. A special case. Maybe you were one of the few people who could understand me. Through our many encounters, I got the feeling that you might be a Trainer who _truly cares for Pokémon_!" Touya winced when N curled his hand, his nails digging painfully into his cheek. "_But I was wrong_."

Touya gasped once N took his hand away to shove him forward as his palm slapped hard against his chest. The brunet stumbled back, trying to regain his balance, yet ultimately fell to the solid stone below. He murmured an 'ow' as the pain momentarily surged up his body and he rubbed his sore cheek before glancing back up at N who looked down on him, the shadow of his hat casting a dark, eerie effect to the boy's expression.

"The idea of Trainers getting to know each other through battles is utterly ridiculous. You have two options. Challenge me to a fight you can't win or leave this place and watch the birth of a new world where Pokémon are free of people!"

"_N_!" Touya shouted desperately.

But his plea was ignored as N raised a finger high into the air. "ZEKROM! COME TO ME!"

Touya felt his heart stop as he froze. The unknown anticipation to the legendary deity was profound. Though he's seen it once before already, it wasn't necessarily the beast itself he was scared of, but what N would do with it and how in the world he would stop it. It was a weird feeling. Fearing a human's dream more than an ancient dragon's power. And it was when Touya received this abrupt, intense sensation that he knew…it was here.

At that moment the resounding roar rung through the building while the deity busted through the castle wall behind where N stood. The shattering sound was more deafening than anything Touya's ever heard; adding to the booming roar the Pokémon continued to give, deep and vicious, as the hunks of stone crumbled to the ground around it. Its landing sent shocks of electricity, so hot it was blue and evaporated the room's enclosed spring instantly.

Touya stared, bug-eyed, at the dragon as he sat helpless on the floor, legs bent awkwardly apart and holding himself up with his arms. He could feel the beast bore its bloodshot eyes down at him. What was he suppose to do now? None of his Pokémon could go up against a legendary. It was suicide that he would never put them through. He would sooner die himself than let that happen. And it appeared like that was all that was going to happen…

Touya clenched his teeth as he hung his head down, his eyes stinging from the tears welling up in his ducts, threatening to pour down his face. What was he going to do? He couldn't fail, not here, not now. Not when so much was on the line for Pokémon and humans alike.

"Y-Your…your Light Stone is… I mean, Reshiram is…"

"W-What?" Touya turned his attention to his backpack, seeing the orb was glowing through the red cloth. He reached into it and took out the sphere. It felt warm as he cupped it in both palms, as if it was alive and pulsing against his skin. It was only seconds later that a blinding light shot from the orb and Touya gasped, dropping it in his surprise. He squinted his eyes, then widened them to see the white light dimming into a form of a dragon. The beast stretched its wings from the fetal position it'd been in, as if it had been sleeping until it could be one day awakened. It tilted its head up to the sky as it let out it's cry, loud, just like Zekrom's, but coming off as less malicious and more divine. The light now radiated off the Pokémon and Touya sat speechless, amazed.

"Zekrom and…Reshiram…" N began distantly as he gazed at the newly arrived deity. It was only seconds until his look of awe shifted to a satisfied smirk. "They were once one life... One Pokémon... Complete opposites, yet the same... Zekrom and Reshiram are Pokémon that appear before the hero they recognize. I see… You really are a hero."

Touya jerked his head up. A hero? No, it was crazy. Ever since N first brought up this hero talk, suggesting that he was one of them. He thought it was crazy then and he thought it was crazy now. He was just a fifteen year old boy from Nuvema Town. Why would destiny choose _him_?

"I'll tell you what that Pokémon is saying to you." N faced the deity. "It's saying it wants to battle with you. It wants you to try to make it your friend and ally. Reshiram plans to test you to see if you are really pursuing truth. I, also, am curious to see how powerful you are... Now, catch Reshiram and make it your ally!"

Battle _Reshiram_? Was N hearing it right, or perhaps making that up to get him worn down and easily defeated? He was expected to battle a legendary Pokémon? Why? There was no way he was going to win! A deity against normal Pokémon? No matter how strong his team was the two sides just didn't compare.

Touya rose to his feet slowly. He had come up there to stop N and Team Plasma alike, for Alder, for the Gym Leaders, for his best friends and for all Pokémon and humans who could see Trainers battle to practice their skills and to grow in experience, but never to hurt one another. Anthea told him that N realized this deep down in his heart, but had spent too many painful memories in the castle to acknowledge it. Touya never had a doubt in his mind that N was a good person. He'd just been manipulated for so long he needed help. Help that Touya was determined to give him one way or another.

The brunet reached into his bag and pulled out one of his Pokéballs. He stared at it, his eyes half-lidded and melancholy. He knew he needed Reshiram's help, but a battle? It…it just didn't make any sense.

N stared at him quizzically, as if it interested him what move he was going to make next. Touya continued gazing before his hand clenched around the Pokéball, thoughtlessly clicking the button to release his Pokémon in the process. "Emboar? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to let you ou-" He paused once he noticed the look in his Pokémon's eyes. Suddenly, the rest of his squad popped out of their Pokéballs and looked at him, that same unwavering resolve burning in their eyes and Touya nodded back at them. Without a word, the brunet locked eyes with Reshiram as if they were exchanging a mental conversation. He may not be able to communicate with Pokémon like N did, but he did hold a connection with them in his heart. His team was just as driven as he was to stop N. At that signal, they charged ahead.

Touya was so confident, so strong-minded at first until he began to witness his Pokémon take the blows, not having a chance the second they went in. It didn't matter how many times he told them to dodge or what different combinations to use as a team. His tactics. Their moves. None of which were proving effective against the dragon. Him and his team held such a strong bond, yet it didn't change the fact- it was hopeless. They were fighting a God. Five against one and it was still an unfair fight, ironically.

Touya watched in agony as his Simisage was knocked out of the air, crashing down to the rock underneath as it struggled to get back up. This couldn't be the way, he thought, as he witnessed his Dewott's hydro pump doing damn near nothing against Reshiram, a fire type. His Pokémon were getting hurt because he was allowing them to fight a legendary. He thought about what N said about Trainers leading to their Pokémon's pain. How they bossed them around and forced them to do battle. Could that be what was happening here? He didn't call them all out to fight. They did so voluntarily because they're determined, just like he is. Like Trainer, like Pokémon. They share the same goal in wanting humans and Pokémon to stay together. Touya knew how it felt to love Pokémon and his Pokémon knew how it felt to love humans. To tell them to stop fighting in what they believe, would that not be bossing them around?

Even so, he said it himself, he couldn't win like this. He said it himself that he would die before he let his friends charge into a suicide mission. And what was he doing now? Letting a deity talk him into an impossible battle to pass some sort of test?

"R-Reshiram…!" Touya called erratically just as he saw Simipour getting severely burned. He wasn't sure if it was fear that was making his body tremble, anger, anguish or guilt as his fists balled tightly by his sides, so much so that he thought his knuckles were going to rip from his flesh at any moment. "I don't know why you've appeared before me now… Or if you'd appear before anyone who carries the stone. Hell, I'm not even sure if I'm the chosen hero you seek, but I do know this, Reshiram, I need your help. It's only with yours that I can help N and everyone else. I can't stop Zekrom without you. I can't get through to N without you. He has to know what's true, I… Please, I… I JUST WANT HIM TO SEE THE TRUTH!"

Reshiram let out a roar to the heavens above them, stretching its wings far apart and Touya felt as if his hand was guided to the Pokéball in his bag. He took it out and threw it at the dragon. The ball opened and both N and Touya watched as Reshiram went inside and the ball fell to the ground. It didn't rock. It merely beeped claiming the Pokémon had been caught or more of _allowed_ itself to be.

"Reshiram…" Touya breathed as he walked up to it. He picked up the ball, gazing at it for a moment before he tossed it. "Come on out, Reshiram!"

The Pokémon popped out of the ball giving its infamous roar as it spread its wings, fire spiraling around its body.

"Ah… I see. Reshiram, who is said to lend its power to the hero who seeks truth, has recognized your power and now agrees to stand by your side…" N spoke. "Hold on. Your Pokémon are hurt." He walked over to the Pokémon who had gathered around Touya's feet. N leant down, giving each one of them healing medicines as Touya stared down at the top of his head.

Wouldn't it be more beneficial for him to leave them as they were so his squad would be weak and Touya would be distracted in their battle? Not that he was planning on using his team in the fight against Zekrom, especially now since Reshiram stood along side him, but _still_. "I don't understand… Why are you helping me?"

"I should be asking you that." Touya blinked before N continued on, "But if you must know, I don't like seeing Pokémon get hurt… That includes yours." N petted the Emolga. "You're alright now, little guy. Don't worry, you will all be free soon," he whispered to the last Pokémon recovered. He was so far gone he didn't even pay mind to the Pokémon opposing his statement. "Now," he stood erect to face Touya, "I will create the future I desire! I shall sweep you before me!"

Touya shook his head from side to side. There was no other way to get through to him, it seemed. He crouched down to his Pokémon. "Guys…I'm so sorry... You all tried your very best despite the odds and I'm so proud of ya'll for that." His Pokémon leapt forward and hugged him, to his surprise. He smiled and returned the embrace affectionately. He had their undying love and them, the same. "Now get some rest. All of you. You deserve it. Everyone, return!" His Pokémon went back into their Pokéballs inside his bag. Touya stayed crouched for a moment, contemplating before he rose to his feet.

"…You care for your Pokémon, yet they got hurt because of you. This is why I will change the world so this will never happen again."

"And how did you catch Zekrom?" Touya snapped, sounding annoyed. "Zekrom had to test you just as Reshiram did me."

"Silence! I said I would bring about the liberation of Pokémon even if my own get hurt! You weren't there with all those suffering Pokémon who were in pain and crying out for help thanks to people! You wouldn't understand! It tears me apart just as much as it hurts them, but this is the only way!"

"N…" This was why Touya knew N was truly a kind person. It took someone with a good heart to be so moved by Pokémon's pain that they devoted themselves in helping them at all cost. This just wasn't the way to do it. He had to make him see that. "And my Pokémon are just as determined as I am to stop you! Maybe if you weren't so focused on this ideal of yours you could hear that they don't want this just as much as the Trainers and Pokémon who are fighting against Team Plasma!"

"And how would you know what they're saying? As if you can communicate with Pokémon!"

"You don't need to exchange words to speak to your Pokémon! It's through the connection we share that my Pokémon and I understand each other!"

"_You are a fool_," N said simply, his voice cold and ominous. "And I will deal with you no longer! Go, Zekrom!"

Touya growled. "Reshiram! Let's show him what the truth really is, together!"

With that, their beasts clashed. Ideals versus truth. Black versus white. Two halves of the same whole battling for what they and their heroes believed, just as they did all those centuries ago. Lights flared as the forces that were said to have destroyed ancient Unova collided. Touya recalled Alder telling him of the myth and he was amazed N had still wanted him to awaken the other, even telling him to search for the Light Stone so they may battle just as the twin brothers did in the story. It was N's thought that the two holders of the legendary Pokémon should put their beliefs on the line and strive to find which was the true hero, to see who is right. He felt if anyone, Pokémon would determine that.

Fire erupted around them as so did electricity as blue as the skies above them. The beasts smashed into each other, each time the wave of their power shaking the building's entirety. Fangs sank into one another as claws slashed the other, but not one dragon let up. Blasts shot out of their mouths relentlessly as both legendaries let out their cries of might.

"Do you really think you can stop us with that?" N yelled. "It is because I fight for what is absolute that I will rain victorious! Zekrom, please share your courage with me!"

Touya glanced around worryingly. The walls circling them were crumbling while it was becoming hazardous for them to continue on. "N, you have to stop! This whole castle could fall apart!"

"_Me_?" N shouted in disbelief. "Will you stop? Will you give up on your dream just because I told you to? I think not!"

The brunet grimaced. He was right. Touya couldn't just let N have his way. He'd separate people and Pokémon forever. This was the only way… He just had to end it before anyone else got hurt. "Reshiram, let's finish this! FUSION FLARE, FULL POWER!"

"Don't hold anything back! FUSION BOLT, ZEKROM! GO!"

The power balls enlarged in their mouths, and with a loud cry, were blasted at each other, ending in an explosion. Touya flew backwards, smacking down on the cement more than a couple times as he would hit the ground, get air born, then hit the ground again. When friction began to slow him down he merely tumbled to a stop, landing on his stomach. He groaned, his fingers twitching over his head as he tried to regain feeling. He couldn't stay on the ground. He had to end this. He had to see how Reshiram was. How N was.

Touya struggled to bend his arms so he may push himself upwards until a sharp pain shot through his shoulder and he cried out, collapsing on the ground once more. He heard the multiple _poof _sounds from where his Pokémon had popped out of their balls to come to his aid. "Guys…" he breathed while his Emboar eased him into standing upright. The pig's arm rested on his back while the other was on his chest for support.

His eyes were half-lidded as he gazed down at himself. His pants were torn along with the sleeves of his jacket, revealing where his skin was scrapped and bloody. He looked disheveled and worn, dirt and ash dusted over his attire. He glanced up, tearing his eyes away from his beaten self when Emolga placed his fallen hat back on his head. He managed a warm smile at his Pokémon before he tried to step forward. "It's okay, Emboar," he said to the Pokémon who seemed reluctant to let him go. "It hurts, but I think I can walk. I've gotten tougher because of all of you."

Emboar slowly released him and Touya forced his legs to shuffle forward. He winced at the pain, yet refused to give up. Giving up was not an option. He couldn't see pass all the smoke and walked forward still. "Guys? N? Reshiram? Please, someone answer!" In the midst of the debris he could later make out the figure lying on the ground. "Oh, my… _N_!"

He ignored the pain and ran forward, sliding to a stop next to him and falling to his knees. "N?" He shook him desperately while the boy laid face up and motionless. His clothes were ripped and the newfound wounds he suffered were agonizingly visible. "N, get up! Please! Y-You…you can't be… _N_! Come on! This isn't what I wanted! Please, get up! _Please_…!" he choked. He didn't want anyone to die. Especially N who had such a good heart, but was just being lied to. He wanted to help him. Not kill him! Tears started streaming down his face, sobbing as he buried his head into his crossed arms over the man's torso.

"E-Everything's…"

Touya whipped his head up and turned to stare at the boy. He had opened his eyes. He looked fatigue, but he was alive. N was alive! Touya thoughtlessly wrapped his arms around the other boy's neck and cried into his shoulder, not able to hold back the tears from racking his chest.

N stared up at the sky above them, now visible from the massive crater the deities left in the ceiling. His eyes appeared foggy, almost lost and confused. "Everything's ruined... The ideals I held… The dreams Pokémon shared… Is the world going to choose you and not me…?"

N sat up slowly and Touya's eyes widened at the motion. His arms slid from around his neck down to his sides as he stared at the boy, suddenly blushing madly as he realized what he'd done. N seemed unfazed by it as he looked back at Touya dead in the eye without a trace of nervousness. "…Zekrom and I were beaten. Your truth… Your feelings… They were stronger than mine, it seems… Reshiram and Zekrom… Each of them choosing a different hero… Is that even possible? Two heroes living at the same time— one that pursues truth and one that pursues ideals. Could… Could they both be right? I don't know. It's not by rejecting different ideas, but by accepting different ideas that the world creates a chemical reaction. This is truly the formula for changing the world…"

It wasn't one deity that was stronger than the other; it was the will of the Trainer who stood by them. N believed this deep in his heart. Touya wasn't sure where the dragons had disappeared to. Though the smoke around them was immense, he knew he would still be able to make out silhouettes as large as they. But he saw none. Had they flown out of the ceiling or perhaps they destroyed one another? No… Touya had a strong hunch that wasn't the case, as if he and the deity were linked at the soul, and knew N felt it too.

"N…it isn't wrong to pursue ideals. It's the particular ideal that you aim for that can be wrong. People depend on Pokémon and Pokémon depend on people. We're friends and we aim to help each other. There are always going to be people that want to use Pokémon, even hurt and manipulate them in the process and those are the people that have to be stopped. Not everybody who loves and bonds with one another."

The older teen stared down, the emotion in his grey-blue eyes unreadable, but undoubtedly reflecting his deep consideration. "…Touya-" His words, however, were cut short when the two heard someone yell across the demolished corridors.

"AFTER ALL OF THAT, DO YOU THINK YOU'RE STILL WORTHY OF SHARING THE NAME HARMONIA WITH ME? YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING BOY!"

Both N and Touya had turned there heads to see the man appear from the fog. The one that was blame for all of this. _Ghetsis_. What was_ he _doing there?

"I spurred you into pursuing ideals," he spoke as he commenced walking towards them, his eyes locked on N's confusion-filled pools. "The reason we reawakened the legendary Pokémon now was to give _my_ Team Plasma more power! Power to control the fearful masses! That at least was well done!"

Touya glared fiercely. He was already aware of Ghetsis' evil intentions, but he also knew this was probably news to N. Why did _he_ have to show up, of all people?

"After saying you had to put your beliefs on the line and battle to see which one chosen by the legendary Pokémon was the true hero... You end up losing to an ordinary Trainer! There is such a thing as being _too_ stupid! Add it up and you are nothing more than a warped, defective boy who knows nothing but Pokémon!"

N's eyes widened, a small gasp escaping from the back of his throat. Touya glanced over at him, taking in the other's expression. He looked deeply hurt and baffled. The disorder and anguish on his face so immense that Touya wasn't sure which one the teen felt more. He had been used and lied to, _deceived_. From the very beginning, he was Ghetsis' pawn and, to Ghetsis, was nothing more than that. Touya's eyes lowered, no longer able to stand looking at the other as his hands clenched into shaky fists. It pierced his own heart just to see him like that and in that moment he'd never felt so much compassion and loathing at the same time.

Ghetsis shifted his eyes down at Touya, leering. "I never would have thought the legendary Pokémon would choose a Trainer like you. It caught me completely off guard. However, this doesn't change my goal. My plans have not been disturbed! In order to rule this world utterly, in order to manipulate the hearts of people who know nothing, I will have N be the king of Team Plasma. But, for that to work, since you know now the truth, you must be _killed_."

"TOUYA!"

He and N averted their attention to see the…_two_ figures running towards them?

"Over here!" Touya called, raising his arm to wave before the familiar pain presented itself and he quickly dropped it with a groan. N eyed him carefully. He had always cared if Pokémon were hurt, but never a human... So why did he now?

"Touya!" Cheren ran up to him along with former champion Alder. "My Lord, are you alright? You're bleeding!"

"I've been better." Touya gave a faint smile. "You guys have impeccable timing."

"We overheard Ghetsis. And just in time too." Cheren turned to glare at the man, his voice low, "You're not gonna lay a finger on Touya, hear me?"

A laugh bellowed from the man's throat, loud and mocking. "And just how do you propose to stop me? A weakling like you stands no chance against I! This world and all its inhabitants stand no chance against my rule!"

Cheren gritted his teeth, about to shout a reply when Alder clamped a hand down on his shoulder from behind. "Rule the world?" he asked. "What happened to freeing all the Pokémon?"

"_Tch_. Surely the previous champion isn't as naïve as children. That was just a convenient lie that I needed to create Team Plasma. Use your head. What's to be gained from letting go of useful things like Pokémon? Certainly, manipulating Pokémon helps people expand their possibilities. That much, I can agree with. So it naturally follows that only _I _should be able to use Pokémon!"

"_You're insane_!" Touya barked while he forced himself to stand upright, only a slight wince revealing his hesitation. "And I'll be damned if I sit around and let you do something like that!"

"You can say whatever you want. A Pokémon, even if it's revered as a deity, is still just a Pokémon. So what if Reshiram chose you? That doesn't mean you're a threat. Come on! Now you'll face _me_ in battle! I can't wait to see the look on your face when you've lost all hope! I won't allow anyone to stop me! No matter who does what!" He cackled.

Ghetsis was truly out of his mind. Did he really think he stood a chance against Reshiram? He, with no legendary to oppose with? Touya shook his head from side to side, staring down at his open palm before he clenched it. "RESHIRAM!"

"I WAS EXPECTING EXCATLY THAT KIND OF MOVE!"

The white dragon sailed down from the heavens, its cry thunderous and beautiful. It spread its massive wings and fire flickered around its body. Cheren and Alder stared at it in disbelief, eyes wide and mouths agape. "T-That's… That's Reshiram…? A legendary…?" the black haired teen stammered.

"Amazing…" Alder respired.

Touya turned around sharply to face them. "GUYS! YA'LL GET OUT OF HERE! This place is on the verge of collapse and I don't want ya'll to be caught in it!"

"What? What about you?" Cheren yelled, snapping out of his deferential trance.

"I'm going to stay here and fight," Touya replied unwaveringly. He scowled back at Ghetsis. "After all, this is my battle. Reshiram chose me. I have to combine our strength to protect what I care about."

Alder exclaimed, "Absolutely not, Touya! Your bravery is to be admired, but Reshiram's full power can take down this entire building effortlessly. If this castle collapses, you'll fall with it! Another battle with a legendary could have catastrophic results!"

"I know… That's why you guys have to leave! There's no point in all of us at risk! Reshiram and I will put a stop to Ghetsis' deeds once and for all! Just go now! I'll hold him off with as little collateral damage as I can! Get all of the residents in this castle out of here and take N with you to safety!" Touya turned his attention back on the teen still on the ground. "N…?"

"Touya, there is no need _to_ battle," said Alder. "You've already won. Ghetsis and his Pokémon stand no chance against Reshiram. He surely knows this."

"But of course! That is why I have an ace in the hole." He grinned wickedly, then abruptly pointed an index finger towards N. "Go on, boy! Call upon Zekrom and prove my ideals stronger! It isn't too late for the world to choose _me_! Prove that you're more than just good-for-nothing, worthy of the name Harmonia, and bring me the power of Zekrom!"

N grimaced, his eyes shut tight and his fist trembling before the name ripped from his throat. "ZEKROM!"

"N, DON'T!" screamed Touya.

The beast's roar rung through the building seconds before it soared down from the hole it once helped create. Landing, the ground shook and fear of collapse was apparent on all their faces aside from N and Ghetsis. It let out another ferocious roar, electricity sparking off its body.

"Yes. _YES_! Zekrom, your power is mine! Destroy Reshiram and any hope these fools have of victory!" However, the black dragon made no moves to attack Reshiram. Instead, it bore its bloodshot eyes down at Ghetsis. The man's wicked smile gradually fell. "What are you waiting for? DESTROY REHIRAM! N, order it to destroy Reshiram! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

Alder spoke, "He won't do it, Ghetsis. Don't you see? Zekrom will fight alongside the hero who seeks ideals. If that hero's resolve is wavered, if they're even the least bit unsure of their beliefs, than Zekrom senses that and will not follow their command in battle. It would seem your ace in the hole became your greatest downfall."

"_What_? No… My calculations... NO! My careful schemes! THE WORLD SHOULD BE MINE!"

"The world isn't for one man to control, Ghetsis!" said Touya. "It's for Pokémon and humans to live together, in harmony! You raised N to chase after this ideal, but at least his intentions were pure! You said it yourself! That's why Zekrom chose him and didn't even look twice at someone as wretched as you! It was your ideal that was just as foolish!"

"What? I created Team Plasma with my own hands. My ideal is absolutely perfect! I AM PERFECTION! I am the perfect ruler of a perfect new world!" He screeched menacingly. "But you're right about one thing, since I couldn't become the hero and obtain the legendary Pokémon myself, I prepared someone for that purpose- N! He's nothing more than a freak without a human heart! Do you really think you're going to get through to a warped person like that?"

"Shut_up_!" Touya went for a punch when Alder grabbed his wrist, holding him back. He trashed about in an attempt to break free before he finally hissed, his hazel eyes dark and full of loathe. "_You're_ the one without the human heart! You have _no_ right to say something like that! Not you! Not someone like you who wants to use Pokémon for your own selfish gain, the very thing N's been fighting against! Where's the compassion in that? Where's the _heart_ in that, _Ghetsis_?"

"You're right. He's truly pitiful…" Alder voiced. He released Touya who rubbed at his wrist as he exhaled in efforts to calm himself down. "Now, N... Do you still think Pokémon and people should be separated?"

He stared down at the ground, quivering. "I-I… I-I…"

Touya looked at N with wide eyes before he glared back at Alder. "Give him some space, Alder! He's been through a lot!"

"I suppose you're right, Touya. N... I'm sure you have much to think about. I know you were not pursuing ideals because of Ghetsis' manipulation, but because your heart was truly inspired. That is why you were able to meet the legendary Pokémon."

"B-But…I have no right to be the hero!" N jerked his head upwards, his glistening eyes now apparent.

"Is that so? The fact that Zekrom still appeared when you called it shows that it still acknowledges you as such. What you and the legendary Pokémon are going to do from now on... That's important, wouldn't you say?"

"Acting like you understand…" he growled. "Up until now we've been fighting each other over our beliefs! Yet, despite that… _Why_…?"

"N, even if we don't understand each other, that's not a reason to reject each other. There are two sides to any argument. Is there one point of view that has all the answers? …Give it some thought." He turned, taking a confounded Ghetsis beside him whom was mumbling things like 'I lost… I can't believe it… My perfect plan…' His face was sunk-in and his eyes wide, quaking. He truly looked a mess. A defeated, devastated mess. "Cheren, mind helping me out here?"

"Sure, champ." He went to the other side of him and helped carry Ghetsis out.

"…I want…to talk to you about something," N murmured as the two began departing out the room. He rose to his feet, staggering forward, and Touya quickly ran over to help support him.

"You're hurt. Sit back down," he voiced in concern. "I think I have some potions in my bag. Hold on."

"N-No. You were wounded too and you still stand. I'm fine. You may let go of me."

"N…" Touya frowned. He reluctantly removed his hands from the boy's shoulders.

N stood up straight, winced, but simply placed a hand to his scrapped forearm. "When I first met you…in Accumula Town…I was shocked when I heard what your Pokémon was saying. I was shocked because that Pokémon said it liked you… It said it wanted to be with you… I couldn't understand it then. I couldn't believe there were Pokémon that liked people. Because, up until that moment, I'd never known a Pokémon like that. The longer my journey continued, the more unsure I became. All I kept meeting were Pokémon and people who helped one another. That was why I needed to confirm my beliefs by battling with you. I wanted to confront you hero-to-hero. I needed that more than anything…"

"N…" Touya breathed. He couldn't bring himself to respond with a broader variety of words. The boy's confessions were moving his heart in ways he's never experienced before.

"There was no way a person like me, someone who understands only Pokémon- No, actually… I didn't understand them either. No way could I have measured up to you, when you had met so many Pokémon and were surrounded by so many friends."

"N, you can't beat yourself up about it. Your intentions were good. You just have to forgive yourself."

"Have you?" he questioned. "Could you ever forgive someone like me…?" N's eyes lowered desolately.

Touya gave a warm smile. "I already have."

The grey-blue pools enlarged before they lowered once more. "…The Champion has too, it seems… What I should do now is something I'll have to decide for myself. Touya, you said you have a dream… That dream… Make it come true! Make your wonderful dream a reality and it will become your truth. If anyone can, it's you!" N admitted as he stepped backwards towards the same hole Zekrom had originally entered from.

"Huh? W-Wait, N! You're going to fall off the- _N_!" He darted forward, only to abruptly stop when he saw N come back up to eyesight as he was caught in Zekrom's hand.

Touya blinked. His arm that was previously outstretched in a reflexive gesture to catch N now fell to his side. "This… This can't be the last time we see each other."

"We were chosen. Deemed heroes by these legendaries." The green-haired teen patted the dragon. "You, Reshiram and I, Zekrom. As long as we stay friends with these two dragons, I'm certain we'll see each other again."

Touya stared up at him and he soon bit his bottom lip in an attempt to stop his tears before they started. He always hated goodbyes.

N gazed back at him for a moment. "You know…I can see why now. Why your Pokémon said it liked you, wanted to be with you. You have a kind heart, making you a kind person. One I wish I had known growing up…" He leaned in to curl Touya's brown locks between his fingers as he cupped his sore cheek in his palm. "I'm sorry I hurt you, when you were only trying to help me... Touya…thank you…" he pulled him forward, pressing his lips gently against the shorter boy's in a chaste, sweet kiss before he parted his mouth and whispered against Touya's own, "_for everything_."

N leaned back and Touya gawked at him, blushing intensely. The older teen smiled. "Well, then… Until we meet again!"

There was a saying... If somewhere in the world there was someone who understood you, it felt like that person was right beside you, even if you're as far apart as the end of the land and the top of the sky…

"Until we meet again…N."

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**A/n:** _So what did you think? I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it/ playing the game. First ever Pokémon fiction here. Please, _**REVIEW**_ what you thought! At least a little something **before you favorite**? I'd really like to know how I did with this! My goal is 10+!_

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